The connection is really a vicious cycle. Snoring is often caused because the person is overweight or obese to begin with. Then the lack of sleep caused by snoring leads to weight gain for two main reasons: It causes hormones to be secreted in the stomach that stimulate appetite, and we produce less of the hormone that helps us realize we’re full, thus we eat more.

Sleep loss doesn’t directly cause weight loss or weight gain. However, there is a correlation between losing sleep and eating more. Adequate sleep is less associated with obesity. There are a variety of metabolic consequences between the time spent awake versus the time spent asleep that are a part of this explanation (i.e., the more you are awake, the more energy expenditure and as a consequence, an increase in appetite).

A number of both small- and large-scale studies have confirmed a link between sleep deprivation and weight gain. Physiologic studies suggest that sleep restriction has metabolic and hormonal effects that predispose a person to weight gain. People who get too little sleep may eat more because of changes in levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin. We don't really understand all of the reasons why significant sleep deprivation predicts weight gain. If you are trying to lose weight or reduce risk for weight gain, get a full night of sleep on a daily basis.

There is a connection between sleep duration and weight. Most recent studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation, defined as five or fewer hours per night, has been associated with higher rates of overweight and weight gain. Reduced sleep seems to affect the levels of hormones that control appetite as well as hormones that affect fat and sugar metabolism.

Weight gain has been linked to insufficient sleep especially in night shift workers. While there is some uncertainty as to the cause, there are several studies showing this link. Sleep requirement varies a bit by age and certainly among individuals, though seven to eight hours of sleep is typical in adults. Mood disturbance and even higher mortality have been linked to very short sleep times and very long sleep times.

Sleep is closely tied to weight, in that hormones related to metabolism are replenished during sleep. These hormones serve to keep the metabolism at a sufficient rate to burn enough calories to avoid weight gain. Slowing of the metabolism (due to lack of good-quality sleep) increases our propensity to gain weight. Additionally, not getting enough sleep means that a person is awake longer per day, and there is more time for calorie consumption. Finally, poor-quality sleep also affects our "cravings" when it comes to food; those suffering from poor-quality sleep often crave foods that are sweet or high in fat content.

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